Nate Mercereau

Guitar as sampler

Nate Mercereau is a California guitarist, producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who began on the gospel circuit and for years worked as a guitarist, producer and songwriter with the producer Ricky Reed. He studied music at San Francisco State University, finishing in 2010; he was admitted as a guitar student on condition that he also play French horn in the wind ensemble. After graduating he joined Sheila E.'s band for five years of worldwide touring.

His method is electric guitar, guitar synthesizer and MIDI guitar with live sampling in Ableton; he says the sample becomes his instrument, pitched all up and down the fretboard. André 3000 said of him that he hardly ever sounds like he is playing guitar but is an awesome guitarist. His solo debut, the instrumental Joy Techniques (2019), came out on his own How So Records, and in July 2021 he released Duets / Golden Gate Bridge, guitar improvisations over the wind hum of the bridge, recorded over two days at the Marin Headlands with the engineer Zach Parkes.

He joined André 3000's ensemble for New Blue Sun in fall 2023 and its tour into 2024. Excellent Traveler (October 11, 2024, Third Man Records) draws on about eighteen months of recordings and samples including Laraaji, Kamasi Washington, André 3000 and Shabaka Hutchings. On July 11, 2025 Blue Note released Openness Trio with Josh Johnson and Carlos Niño, built from five recordings in five Los Angeles-area sessions. He is also credited writing or producing for Kesha, Leon Bridges, Shawn Mendes, Lizzo, John Legend and others, per PopMatters.